Feeling like your hair and skin need some TLC but you're still recovering from festive season expenses and can't afford to splurge on a spa day or hair treatment? Fear not, because there is an inexhaustible array of DIY treatments that you can make from the comfort of your own home that are both pocket-friendly and easy to fit into a busy schedule. Here are some of my own favourites, which include my ultimate "go-tos" — avocado and yoghurt. Try them alone or call your girlfriends and enjoy some TLC downtime feeling fabulous and refreshed.
1) Nourishing avocado, yoghurt and honey face mask
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 1 teaspoon plain organic yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon of honey
Avocado is rich in minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, copper, magnesium, and vitamins A, E, B and K. Mix this with yoghurt and honey — which has antibacterial properties and is full of antioxidants —and you've got a moisture-rich amalgamation providing the perfect treatment for dry skin exhausted by the elements. Mash the avocado into a pulp and then mix in the yoghurt and honey until it forms a paste. Apply to your face and leave on for 10-15 minutes.
2) Gentle Exfoliating Oats and Yoghurt Face Scrub and Mask
- 2 tablespoons yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon oats
Regular exfoliation is essential for removing dead skin cells which block pores, making your skin look dull. Yoghurt contains lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that dissolves dead skin cells, revealing brighter skin, and assists in anti-aging. When topically applied to the skin, yoghurt will help moisturise, fight acne, prevent premature aging, relieve sunburn, and reduce pigmentation. Mixed with oats, this scrub-mask provides the perfect gentle exfoliant. Simply add the oats to the yoghurt in a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes — wait for it to get mushy. Stir to get an even consistency and then apply it all over your face and neck, and massage using gentle, circular motions. Keep the mixture on for 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
3) Sumptuous Sugar Scrub
- 1/2 cup sugar (white or brown sugar, preferably organic)
- 1/2 cup olive or coconut oil
Sugar is my absolute favourite body exfoliator because the grains are coarse enough to scrub off deadskin cells and yet gentle enough not to cause irritation. Mix oil and sugar together in a jar or a cup and use in the shower. Your skin will feel like silk — trust me!
4) Banana and Egg Hair Conditioning Mask
- 2 egg whites
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Eggs are rich protein, sulfur and biotin, which make hair silkier and stronger, while banana contains high levels of potassium, natural oils, carbohydrates and vitamins which soften the hair and protects its natural elasticity, preventing split ends and breakage. Olive oil will add an additional level of intense moisture and milk will even out the texture of the mixture and also add the benefits of lactic acid.
Take one ripe banana and mash it up in a blender to get smooth paste. Then add one cup of milk to the banana paste and the two egg whites and oil. Blend all the ingredients together and apply this hair mask on your hair and leave it on for half an hour before jumping into the shower and washing it out with your regular shampoo.
5) Dark-circle teabag treatment
- Two tea bags (black tea or green tea)
- Hot water
Tea containing caffeine, antioxidents and tannins helps to stimulate blood circulation and shrink blood vessels around your eyes, thus reducing puffiness and dark circles. Take the two tea bags and steep them in hot water for 3-5 minutes. Take the tea bags out and put them on a small plate and place in your fridge for 20 minutes. Remove from fridge and gentle squeeze out any excess water,so that they are damp but not dripping wet. Lie down, place the bags over your eyes and relax for 15-30 minutes before removing and rinsing.
Feeling fabulous starts with you!